"The Old Man and the Boy" by Dan Burr‘A Clean Patch of Land’ by Carter Davis Johnson The Society August 22, 2018 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 6 Comments They stood on the porch, Eyes over the land. The young and old man, Making their plans. The old man spoke out Between his long spits. Tobacco and words Spilt from his lips. “I reckon I’ll cut Those trees over there. They’re blocking the view From Grandmother’s chair. Cut them by the fence A year before last. That summer was hot; And burnt all my grass.” The young man chirped in, His eyes all aglow. He looked on the field, And wanted to sow. “How bout a garden In place of those trees? There’s plenty of sun And plenty of breeze. We’ll grow tomatoes The size of a shoe. Taters and carrots We’ll put in a stew. We’ll build us a cabin, Right sturdy and nice. Drink lemonade that’s Heavy with ice.” The old man exhaled And shuffled his feet. He pulled off his hat, And moved to his seat. He said with a grin, “My bones are too sore. The view will do fine; I’ve gardened before.” Carter Davis Johnson is an English major and cadet at the Virginia Military Institute. He grew up in Roanoke, Virginia. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 6 Responses Lenore Arnow August 22, 2018 I enjoyed this fun and solution oriented poem! Reply James Sale August 22, 2018 Very good – reminded me of Robert Frost with its folksy wisdom. Good to read. Reply James A. Tweedie August 22, 2018 If a poem tells a story and the poet tells it well, then I’m all for it. I suppose this means that I’m all for this poem. Well told! Reply Joseph Tessitore August 22, 2018 Terrific poem! Reply David Paul Behrens August 22, 2018 Although all the rhymes are not perfect (of which I have been sometimes guilty), there is a nice rhythm to this poem and I like the humorous ending. Reply David Watt August 23, 2018 Although I have a personal preference for perfect rhyme, the story is well told and the humorous twist appeals to me. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
James Sale August 22, 2018 Very good – reminded me of Robert Frost with its folksy wisdom. Good to read. Reply
James A. Tweedie August 22, 2018 If a poem tells a story and the poet tells it well, then I’m all for it. I suppose this means that I’m all for this poem. Well told! Reply
David Paul Behrens August 22, 2018 Although all the rhymes are not perfect (of which I have been sometimes guilty), there is a nice rhythm to this poem and I like the humorous ending. Reply
David Watt August 23, 2018 Although I have a personal preference for perfect rhyme, the story is well told and the humorous twist appeals to me. Reply